INQUIRER Sports

BEIJING -- Gold medal favorites Brazil eased past Japan in the women's volleyball quarter-finals on Tuesday with a comfortable 25-12, 25-20, 25-16 victory.

Brazil were joined in the last four by Cuba, who defeated Serbia 26-24, 25-19, 26-24 in the other morning quarter-final.

Defending champions China then defeated Russia 25-22, 27-25, 25-19 to reach the last four while world champions Italy were tackling USA later.

Brazil, who have won the World Grand Prix in four of the last five years, came storming out of the blocks against Japan and breezed through the first set with minimal fuss.

Japan put up more of a fight in the second and briefly held a two-point lead in the third set but once star spikers Sheila Castro, Fabiana Claudino and Paula Pequeno found their range, the Brazilians cantered off into the distance for a comfortable victory.

"We just weren't able to do anything against them," admitted Japan's Miyuki Takahashi, who was restricted to a measly seven points.

"They didn't allow us to play our game, they crushed us."

Brazil are hoping to erase the nightmare of four years ago when they blew a 24-19 lead in the fourth set, while leading 2-1 in sets, against Russia to eventually come away without a medal - losing to Cuba for bronze.

However, despite their Grand Prix success, in the intervening years they have again faltered at the final hurdle, losing again to Russia in the World Championships final in 2006 and then to Italy in last year's World Cup final.

It has all added to the feeling that they are mentally brittle.

But they have been in fine form here and are yet to drop a set. They also beat both Russia and Italy over the last two years, in the pool stages.

"I think in this team no-one is looking back at the past, mentally we're very strong and we're well prepared," insisted Castro, who managed 11 strikes and a block.

"Whatever other people are thinking about us, we've just got to concentrate on playing our volleyball, it's been good to win every match 3-0.

"The other teams have more respect for us because of this, although for us, psychologically, it doesn't change anything."

Cuba, who topped their pool with a 100-percent record as well, were made to work all the way by a dogged Serbia for whom Jelena Nikolic and Jovana Brakocevic each finished with 15 successful spikes.

But it was in blocking where Cuba made the difference, winning 12 points to Serbia's four on blocks as Nancy Carrillo and Daimi Ramirez presented an impenetrable wall in front of the Serbian spikers.

Cuban coach Antonio Perdomo admitted his team had been far from their best.

"We were very nervous so we didn't play as well as we can and it was a really tough match," he said.

"Serbia had nothing to lose. They had lost more games than they won and because of that they played very freely and very well."